The returns to good data are rising

The returns on high-quality data are increasing as artificial intelligence requires clean, structured information to solve real-world problems. Governments and public institutions must fund the creation of novel data sets—such as the Protein Data Bank—as public goods, while also incentivizing the private sector to tackle public challenges through guaranteed markets, similar to Operation Warp Speed.

The returns to good data are rising When we want A.I. to solve real problems for real people, we need to make sure the data exists. That means cleaning up government data sets that are currently in a shambles a project that the province of Alberta’s government found A.I. could make much faster and easier . It may also mean funding the creation of novel data sets that could eventually give A.I. systems traction on scientific problems that are currently beyond our capability to solve. Those data sets — like the Protein Data Bank — would be public goods, and so would need to be funded by the public. Here is a longer NYT column on AI https://www.nytimes.com/2026/05/31/opinion/artificial-intelligence-public-good.html from Ezra Klein. And this: But much of the A.I. capacity will remain in the private sector. So a public agenda for A.I. should also give the private sector reason to work on public problems. Like in Operation Warp Speed, the government could define the outcomes it wants — a drug, a solution — and guarantee a market if it’s found and distributed equitably. Negativism is not going to win in this sphere.